Daddy's Lullaby
by Maiden of the Moon
Summary: A little girl reflects on the memory of her daddy- and her crying mama- late one night. (A poem mixed with the lyrics of 'My Johnny's a Soldier', some InuKag)


Disclaimer: I do not own anything.  
  
Author's Note: Okay, another odd moment to be inspired for a fic/poem. This  
time I was cleaning the cat's litter box. ^_^; Don't ask, I don't know.  
  
Anyway, this is going to be sort of styled differently than other poems.  
The words between the ~ thingies is the words of a song I wrote, while  
everything else is in the point of view of this character. The words  
incased in the ~s is the song refereed to in the poem. Also, the words in  
the *s are the (slightly altered) lyrics of a song called 'My Johnny's a  
Soldier' (A mix of many different versions of the song). Great song! XD  
  
So the ~ phrases are Inu-Yasha's song  
  
The * phrases are 'My Johnny's a Solider' (sort of sung in Kag's point of  
view)  
  
And the normal verses are their child's words.  
  
Well, this may sound confusing now, but it makes more sense when you read  
it. ^_^;;  
  
Oh! And this is dedicated to my friend Penguin, who, in addition to being a  
wonderful poet and new ff.net authoress, is a great friend who's always  
there for me (and adores the song 'My Johnny's a Soldier'. ^_~).  
  
Hey, Penguin- - - Rash ba-dot! ^_^  
  
^_^;; Don't ask.  
  
Please enjoy!  
  
~*~  
  
I can hear her crying  
Not aloud, but in her heart  
When she tucks me in at night  
Inside she's torn apart  
  
She'll smile and laugh and tell me tales  
The mask I see straight through  
I see the pain behind her eyes  
Shining fresh; still new  
  
*With fife and drum he marched away  
He would not heed what I did say  
He'll not come back for many a-day  
Johnny has gone for a soldier*  
  
I know there's nothing I can do  
To help and dry her tears  
And so I try to make her laugh  
To hide my own dark fears  
  
"Good night, mama," I'll then say  
With drawn-out, sleepy sighs  
She'll kiss my forehead, smile once more  
An' sing daddy's lullaby  
  
*Oh my baby, oh my love  
Gone the rainbow, gone the dove  
Your father was my only love  
Johnny has gone for a solider*  
  
Yes, I can hear her crying  
As she sings my bedtime song  
And I always *feel* that crying  
I try not to cry along  
  
*Johnny come marching home again. . .*  
  
I drown inside my daddy's words  
The ones he wrote for me  
The only thread I have to him  
Since he's left eternally  
  
~Rain whispers as the breezes call  
The sky is painted red  
The shade of a rose; a blooming rose  
Of the blood that once was shed~  
  
*Johnny come marching home again. . . *  
When mama sings I hear them-  
Aunt and Shippo by the door  
Uncle is by daddy's grave  
To 'tell him off' some more  
  
Yes, Uncle's mad at Daddy  
An' Aunt and Ship-chan 'gree  
They say if he was not a fool  
He'd be with them- with me  
  
But still they cannot hate him  
'Cause their love is just too deep  
They idolize him, tease him-  
And always, always weep  
  
*I sold my flax, a sold my wheel  
To buy my love a sword of steel  
So it in battle he could wield. . .  
Johnny has gone for a solider*  
  
Auntie says he that was strong  
An' Uncle says a git  
Shippo says he was the dad  
Denied to him as a kit  
  
I'm blessed with just one memory  
One vision I can hold  
To keep forever in my heart  
Even when I'm old  
  
Once when I was only three-  
Right now I'm four years old-  
I watched him resting in his tree  
Moon in his eyes of gold  
  
I remember silver hair  
And how he quickly turned  
Of the moment that he saw me  
An' how his face became quite stern  
  
But then he sort of chuckled  
Leaping over to my sill  
Pressing a finger to his lips  
He questioned my young will  
  
'Do you want to join me?'  
Surprised, my eyes grew wide  
I grabbed his hand and begged him  
For a nighttime ride  
  
So he scooped me up and hugged me-  
He smelt of spice and pine-  
And leapt into his branch-y tree  
Surroun'ed by columbine  
  
I cuddled into his strong chest  
Covered by his sleeves  
Relishing our to'gether time  
As he hummed into the breeze  
  
~The treetops sing my last lullaby  
And its tune will fill the air  
Yes, the final words of daylight  
Together we will share~  
  
I suddenly hear crying  
It wakes me from my dreams  
Yes, I hear my mama crying  
It rips my heart's worn seams  
  
*Me, oh my, I loved him so  
It broke my heart to see him go  
And only time will heal my woe. . .  
Johnny has gone for a solider*  
  
Moon glow brightens my dark room  
As wind blows through the trees  
My mind flies quickly back in time  
To th'at night when I was three  
  
Looking left and looking right  
I crawl without a sound  
Out of my soft bed of hay  
To pad across the ground  
  
Stopping at the moon-lit sill  
I lean against the wall  
Watching as the autumn leaves  
Slowly start to fall  
  
~Watch with me, my child, the Moon  
She dances through the night  
Forever twirling with the stars  
Radiating heav'nly light~  
  
I can hear her crying  
Simply sobbing in her room  
And she has not stopped singing  
Daddy's quiet, haunting tune  
  
*Johnny come marching home again. . . *  
  
But her voice- it slowly fails her  
Until all that she can say  
Is "Inu-Yasha" "Inu-Yasha"  
Try to hold 'til the next day  
  
*I'll dye my dress, I'll dye it red  
And through the streets go beggin' for bread  
I'll find my love alive or dead. . .  
Johnny has gone for a soldier*  
  
Yes, I can hear her crying  
I try not to cry along  
But I feel the heated tears well up  
As I hum my bedtime song  
  
~Can you hear me calling you?  
  
When Lady Moon shines down  
I'll be right there, protecting you  
Loving without a sound~  
  
I rest my arms and chin upon  
That window sill, so white  
The one that's now reflecting  
Lady Moon's ir'descent light  
  
And then my ears flick back and fore-  
The ears I got from him-  
As I listen for a sound  
In the darkness' din  
  
A gust of breeze, a single chirp  
The flutter of bat's wings  
But all of that is drowned out by  
The words that daddy sings  
  
I can't tell if it's in my head  
Or mama's voice renewed  
But if I listen really hard  
It's daddy's voice that soothes  
  
~So hush, don't cry, my darling child  
I'm always in your heart  
No matter where I am, I swear-  
We'll never be apart~  
  
I can hear her crying  
And cry we always will  
I know that I am crying now  
At my old window sill  
  
*Here I sit on Buttermilk hill  
Who could blame me cryin' my fill  
And every tear will turn a mill. . .  
Johnny has gone for a soldier*  
  
Daddy, please, I miss you so  
I don't want to make a fuss-  
But won't you please come back on home?  
  
Can't you stay with us?  
  
*Johnny come marching home again. . . *  
  
I'm sorry if it's something  
That I did or that I said  
If I drove you 'way from mama  
If I'm why you are dead  
  
*Johnny come marching home again. . . *  
  
I don't remember- I cannot  
I just remember tears  
And now I am forever faced  
To live inside my fears  
  
*Johnny come marching home again. . .*  
  
Please, daddy, I am begging you  
Come down for just one night?  
  
I hate that mama's crying  
I hate it with all my might  
  
~And the lonely rain will whisper; pound  
As the sky is painted red  
The shade of rose; a blooming rose  
Of love forever shed.~  
  
*Oh my baby, oh my love  
Gone the rainbow, gone the dove  
Your father was my only love. . .  
Johnny has gone for a solider*  
  
I still hear her crying  
I'm crying right along  
I love you, daddy, please come home  
And sing my bedtime song  
  
*Johnny come marching home again. . . *  
  
Please come and sing my song  
  
~*~  
  
What do you think? ^_^; It was really just an experiment, if you hate it,  
that's okay. Just please don't hate it with flames. . . ? ^_^;;;;  
  
Please R&R!  
  
Ja ne!  
  
(Just so you know: Columbine- a type of flower)  
  
Note: I tried to keep some of the grammar and pronunciation- um- bad,  
because this is being said by a four year old. Oh- and before anyone asks-  
this is in NO WAY a clue to any of my other fics  
(*coughlikeearlydecembercough*) This was just a random idea. I do NOT plan  
on having Inu die and leave Kag alone with their child in ANY of my  
stories. I promise! 


End file.
